Linux Mint 17.1 Freshens Up Linux Desktop

Linux Mint 17.1 Freshens Up Linux Desktop

Linux Mint 17.1 Will Be Supported Until 2019

The Linux Mint 17.1 release is based on the Ubuntu 14.04 Linux distribution and is designated as a Long Term Support (LTS) release. Security updates for Linux Mint 17.1 will be provided until 2019.

Cinnamon Desktop Gets Performance Boost

The Cinnamon developers audited the desktop source code and were able to identify and fix approximately 30 memory leaks, in a bid to improve responsiveness and performance.

Alphabetical Module Listing Now in Cinnamon

The organization of the Cinnamon desktop has also been improved through a simple modification that makes a lot of difference. Individual modules within menu categories are sorted alphabetically in Linux Mint 17.1.

Desktop Font Is Now Configurable

In the Linux Mint 17.1 Cinnamon release, users can now customize the desktop font, as well as the default system and document font styles.

Privacy Options Are Enhanced

Linux Mint 17.1 benefits from an additional privacy option that enables users to configure when to forget a file for inclusion in recently access file lists.

Keeping the Desktop Moving With Background Slide Shows

There is no reason why users need to keep their background images static if they don't want to. In Linux Mint 17.1, users now have the option to configure background image slide shows.

New Themes Can Easily Be Previewed

Users can choose to try out any number of different themes for Linux Mint 17.1, now enabling users with a one-click preview option.

Theme Settings Are Customizable

Themes provide users with the ability to give the desktop a different look and feel. Now Linux Mint 17.1 users can take that customization a step further with the ability to customize specific elements of the theme they choose.

Updates Are Prioritized

The Update Manager in Linux Mint 17.1 itself has been updated, now showing more details about package file update and prioritizing based on security and bug fix severity.

MATE Desktop Gets New Effects

In the MATE edition of Linux Mint 17.1, the big new addition is the direct integration of the Compiz rendering engine. With Compiz, users can now choose different desktop effects to make the desktop experience more visually engaging.

Linux Mint 17.1, which was officially released on Nov. 29, provides users of the popular Linux desktop with an incremental update and some additional polish. Code-named Rebecca, Linux Mint 17.1 offers a choice of desktop user interfaces, the two primary ones being MATE and Cinnamon. The MATE desktop is a fork of the GNOME 2 desktop environment. The GNOME Linux desktop community moved to the GNOME 3 desktop in 2011, a move that some desktop users did not embrace. In the Linux Mint 17.1 MATE edition, support has been added for the Compiz window manager, which can enable a desktop with multiple special effects for window transitions and events. The Cinnamon desktop, which was created by Linux Mint creator Celement Lefebvre, provides users with a familiar GNOME 2 look but also adds some of the advanced capabilities of newer GNOME releases. Linux Mint 17.1 builds on the innovations that first debuted in Linux Mint 17 earlier this year, with usability, interface and performance gains in several areas. In this slide show, eWEEK takes a look at some of the improvements in the Linux Mint 17.1 release.